Bailey

/ˈbeɪli/ name, noun

name, noun ·Moderate ·College level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: The outer wall of a feudal castle.
  • Grammar: bailey is listed as name, noun.
  • Nearest alternatives: castle enclosure, enclosure, family name, last name.
  • Useful contrasts: first name, fixed bridge, given name.
  • Usage evidence: “Today’s action by the FDA to ban menthol-flavored cigarettes, while long overdue, is a major step toward preventing a new generation from becoming tobacco users and saving lives," said Susan R. Bailey, president of the American Medical Association.

How to use "bailey"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bailey" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bailey" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "bailey" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "bailey" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "bailey" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "castle enclosure" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "bailey", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The outer wall of a feudal castle.
  2. 2
    An apple cultivar from New York
  3. 3
    the outer defensive wall that surrounds the outer courtyard of a castle wordnet
  4. 4
    The space immediately within the outer wall of a castle or fortress.
  5. 5
    the outer courtyard of a castle wordnet
Show 2 more definitions
  1. 6
    A prison or court of justice.

    "the Old Bailey in London; the New Bailey in Manchester"

  2. 7
    An argument which is controversial and more difficult to defend (in the context of a motte and bailey fallacy).

    ""Birds are dinosaurs" is the bailey; "birds are more similar to dinosaurs than anything else" is the motte."

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname. countable

    "“I did not initiate, welcome, encourage, engage in, or learn from much less enjoy, [Adam] Bailey’s tirade. I did not base any part of any of my rulings on it, as Bailey has outlandishly, mistakenly, and defamatorily claimed,” Engoron wrote."

  2. 2
    A surname.; An English surname from Anglo-Norman [in turn originating as an occupation] for a steward or official. countable, uncountable
  3. 3
    A surname.; An English topographic surname from someone who lived by a bailey (the outer wall of a castle). countable, uncountable
  4. 4
    A surname.; An Irish surname originating as an occupation, an anglicization of Báille (“bailie”). countable, uncountable
  5. 5
    A unisex given name; A male given name transferred from the surname. countable, uncountable
Show 9 more definitions
  1. 6
    A unisex given name; A female given name transferred from the surname. US, countable, uncountable
  2. 7
    A placename; A sea area, to the north of Rockall, centred on the former Bill Bailey Bank (now Rockall Basin), located in the Atlantic. countable, uncountable
  3. 8
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Park County, Colorado. countable, uncountable
  4. 9
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Sherburne County, Minnesota. countable, uncountable
  5. 10
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Lauderdale County, Mississippi. countable, uncountable
  6. 11
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Jefferson County, Missouri; named for early settler John Martin Bailey. countable, uncountable
  7. 12
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; A town in Nash County, North Carolina. countable, uncountable
  8. 13
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; A ghost town in Grady County, Oklahoma. countable, uncountable
  9. 14
    A placename; A number of places in the United States:; A minor city in Fannin County, Texas. countable, uncountable

Synonyms

All synonyms
castle enclosureenclosurefamily namelast namemodular bridgeouter ward

Antonyms

first namefixed bridgegiven namepermanent bridge

Example

"“Today’s action by the FDA to ban menthol-flavored cigarettes, while long overdue, is a major step toward preventing a new generation from becoming tobacco users and saving lives," said Susan R. Bailey, president of the American Medical Association."

Common questions

What does "bailey" mean?

The outer wall of a feudal castle.

What is a synonym for "bailey"?

Common synonyms include: castle enclosure, enclosure, family name, last name, modular bridge, outer ward.

How do you use "bailey" in a sentence?

“Today’s action by the FDA to ban menthol-flavored cigarettes, while long overdue, is a major step toward preventing a new generation from becoming tobacco users and saving lives," said Susan R. Bailey, president of the American Medical Association.

How do you pronounce "bailey"?

Pronounced /ˈbeɪli/.

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Old French baile (“palisade, enclosure”), from Latin bacula, plural of baculum (“stick, rod”).

Etymology 2

(English topographic surname): See bailey (“outer castle wall”)

More for "bailey"

Synonyms

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